Awards were handed out for Best Live Performance, Best Image, Best Musicians and Most Likely to Make it Big as well as highly commended certiﬁcates for those the judges thought deserved special credit.

The night of entertainment followed a programme of music industry workshops across the county delivered by Sam Robson from Industry Education in Music and Sam Kelly.

Sam said the event, sponsored by Easton-Otley College, Havebury Housing, Suffolk County Council and the Bury Free Press, was a culmination of weeks of hard work.

He said: “The calibre of the bands was great.

“A lot of them had never played anything like this size of venue, it is a real experience for them.

“Many of them said they were really nervous before going up on stage – but once they came oﬀ they wanted to jump back on.”

Should be Kings, a band made up from students from Stowupland and Stowmarket High Schools, won the Best Musicians and Most Likely to Make it Big categories.

Guitarist Mark Hughes said: “It is brilliant.

“We didn’t expect to win anything, we just came out here to have fun really.

“It is an amazing venue, the best we have ever played – it sounds so good in there.”

Sam Robson said: “To be able to say they have supported Sam Kelly and played at the Apex is a huge thing for these young people and should inspire them in whatever they decide they want in the future.”

Mark Jepson, Communities Manager at Havebury Housing, presents Soft Like Camel from Bury St Edmunds County Upper School, winners of the Best Image category, with their award

Representing Suﬀolk County Council, Paul Schoﬁeld presents Should be Kings from Stowupland High School, winners of the Best Musician category, with their award.

Angela Carter, Vice Principal of Easton-Otley College, presents Lost Lungs from Amplitude Music Club, winner of Best Live Performance category, with their award.